Television presenter Gregg Wallace has issued a lengthy apology while defending the nature of his on-set humour, which he claims was "no worse" than that seen on shows like The Great British Bake Off. His statement comes months after the BBC dismissed him from MasterChef following a major investigation.
The Investigation and Dismissal
The BBC terminated Wallace's contract in July 2025 after a seven-month investigation into his conduct. The probe upheld 45 separate complaints against the 61-year-old star. These allegations ranged from the use of inappropriate sexual language and humour to one instance of unwelcome physical contact and being in a "state of undress".
In a detailed apology published on Substack, Wallace admitted he had been "stupid, defensive and arrogant" in his initial response. He specifically expressed regret for dismissing complainants as "middle-class women of a certain age," calling that remark hurtful and wrong.
Wallace's Defence: A Culture of 'Bawdy' Humour
While apologising for the impact of his actions, Wallace sought to contextualise the environment on the MasterChef set. He stated that food is inherently full of innuendo and that jokes about items like "spotted dick, nuts, the rim of a glass, little tarts" were commonplace.
"I genuinely thought everyone thought it was hilarious," Wallace wrote. He argued that the "bawdy" humour was part of an ensemble culture, citing cameramen making phallic shapes with ingredients and widespread conversations about sex. He directly compared the tone to Channel 4's Bake Off and ITV's The 1% Club.
Wallace claimed his role was to "put contestants at ease" with high energy, a style he says was "engineered from the top down." He stated that no director, producer, or colleague ever told him to stop, and that the behaviour was actively encouraged.
Addressing the Specific Allegations
Wallace addressed what he termed the "most serious" allegations individually. He described an incident 18 years ago where he emerged from his dressing room wearing only a shirt and a sock over his genitals, insisting everyone present laughed and the investigation confirmed it was not sexually motivated.
Regarding the physical contact claim from 17 years ago, where he had his hand on a woman's bum for five minutes at a party, Wallace maintained he "believed it was consensual," a point the investigation noted.
He also explained being found in a state of undress occurred when someone entered while he was changing or lifting his T-shirt to "show off my six-pack" for a microphone fitting.
A Changing Climate and Fall from Grace
The presenter revealed the "rules changed" for him in 2018 after a complaint on another show led to a formal warning. He said he was left confused and fearful, constantly asking producers if he had said anything wrong.
"I question whether the standards by which I was judged were knowable in advance," Wallace wrote, expressing puzzlement over his downfall after 20 years of playing the "loud, cheeky greengrocer off the telly."
He did, however, concede significant failings: "I can see now that it would be hard for someone to complain about a crude joke if everyone around them was laughing... I also never considered that contestants might not have spoken up for fear it would affect their chances."
Since his dismissal, Wallace has attempted to launch a new career as a personal trainer and shares healthy recipes on social media platforms including TikTok. His MasterChef co-host, John Torode, was also dropped by the BBC last year after a separate complaint about the use of an offensive racist term, which Torode said he had no recollection of.
